For 27 years, Barry Jarrett has worked his way up the Milledgeville city employment ladder, through water and sewer all the way to city manager. As manager, Jarrett has served for several years during tough times for Milledgeville when some major local employers were closing, including correctional facilities, Rheem, Shaw, and Central State Hospital. Jarrett is now the highest-ranking African-American employee in a city that is financially stronger than its county, in part due to Jarrett’s stewardship.

When I chose the title for this article, I thought I’d give my opinion, support it with some facts, and that’d be the end of it. But once I started thinking more deeply about the subject, I realized this is quite a complex topic, with lots of facets and nuances. You’d need to look at employment, population growth, shopping, attractions, education, culture, tourism, entertainment, crime, and dozens of other issues to really be able to fully delve into trying to answer this question.

So instead, this article will serve more as an introduction to the question of whether Macon is “on the move” or not. In this first edition of the series, I plan to talk first about some personal memories of Macon some decades ago, and a bit later about something called urban scaling — as well as what Macon can learn from some real historical antecedents, ancient cities.

A bill proposed last year in Georgia’s House of Representatives aimed at amending Georgia’s constitution to provide for the possibility of direct election of school board superintendents in Georgia. It passed Georgia’s House last year. However, two of three Macon House of Representatives members, James Beverly and Nikki Randall, voted against it. Only Allen Peake voted for it. A similar bill has now been proposed by the Senate this legislative session, but hasn’t been approved. I think it should be. … Continue Reading

A 46-year-old firefighter from Macon-Bibb County, Georgia, Lieutenant Randy Parker, died on Wednesday evening, February 11, 2015, after he plunged through the floor of a small, burning brick ranch home at 2320 Fairview Drive in south Macon. Parker left a wife and two children. Those eulogizing Parker at Macon’s City Auditorium on February 16 described him as a loving father, husband and church member, and an enthusiastic, well-liked, hardworking firefighter.

Parker’s death is a profound tragedy for his family and the community too.

If there is any solace in Parker’s loss, it may be that it gives us the opportunity to rethink firefighting policies, practices, decision-making, economics and culture – characteristics that are typical of firefighting not only in Macon, … Continue Reading